THE CONQUEST OF TIME AND SPACE 



In anticipation of some such demonstration as this, 

 the French Government had sent out a proclamation on 

 the day of the ascent. ^'Anyone who should see in the 

 sky a globe, resembling the moon in an eclipse," the 

 proclamation ran, "should be aware that far from being 

 an alarming phenomenon, it is only a machine, made of 

 taffeta, or light canvas covered with paper, that cannot 

 possibly cause any harm, and will some day prove 

 serviceable to the wants of society." But apparently 

 none of the villagers of Gonesse had seen this proclama- 

 tion. 



The success of these balloon ascensions sent a wave 

 of enthusiastic interest in aeronautics all over France. 

 The novelty and possibihties of ballooning appealed to 

 the French temperament, just as the possibilities of 

 submarine navigation and automobiling did a century 

 later. As a result, France became at once the centre 

 of ballooning, the whole nation being eagerly absorbed 

 in the subject of navigating the air. In the theatre of 

 action, the Montgolfiers continued to occupy the centre 

 of the stage, and at all times showed themselves worthy 

 of the leading r61e. Pursuant to the order of the king, 

 M. Montgolfier had come to the capital, and on Septem- 

 ber 19th, before Louis XVI and his queen and the 

 court at Versailles, sent up another hot-air balloon, or 

 "Montgolfier," as this kind of balloon had come to be 

 called. 



A novel and important feature of this exhibition, how- 

 ever, was the substitution of living animals for sand-bags 

 or other ballast, as used heretofore. In a wicker cage 

 a cock, a duck, and a sheep were fastened, and these 



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